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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 74
Campfire Greenhorn
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Campfire Greenhorn
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 74 |
Pulled a fifth wheel up and back this summer. It was a lot better than I expected. Some pretty impressive frost heaves on the north end. On the way up, the narrower and winding part through the Cassier's around Toad River was all covered with gravel. That wasn't fun. On the way home, it was all cleaned off and in pretty good shape. We saw lots of black bears, a few stone sheep and caribou. A really good time
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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 7,187 Likes: 5
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 7,187 Likes: 5 |
My grandfather commented that a lot of the other cars we saw (probably fifty in total, on the Canadian portion) seemed to be from Texas. He said they were probably going up because they refused to believe Alaska was really bigger. When My wife and I travelled the highway a few years back, I was astounded by the disappearance of all the small businesses along the highway. We used to go up to Summit Lake for a weekend in 1958 and stay there. Now it is deserted. Of course, some of the places we stayed in in the '50's would not even be allowed to exist today. When we first moved up there (from Wyoming), the Mile 0 marker in Dawson Creek made an impression. For the first couple of years, the highway was gravel right from Dawson Creek but, by the time we left, in 1961, the pavement had reached the north end of Taylor (Mile 38) and many of the streets in Ft. St. John were paved as well. In 1959, the bridge across the Peace river collapsed and a detour added ten miles to the trip to DC so we didn't make the trip very often until the new bridge was built. GD
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Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 20,554
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 20,554 |
Richard I’ve lost count of the number of times. First time was in 1976. Most recent was 2017 - down and back.
Not completely true. Went the Cassiar both ways. 😁 Have they paved it yet and put guard rails up along the Frazier?
That's ok, I'll ass shoot a dink.
Steelhead
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 86,289 Likes: 27
Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 86,289 Likes: 27 |
Cassiar is paved partway in from each end. Not very far really. Don't recall about guardrails tho.
If you take the time it takes, it takes less time. --Pat Parelli
American by birth; Alaskan by choice. --ironbender
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 2,193 Likes: 1
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 2,193 Likes: 1 |
I have never driven it—but I used to drink beer at the Canadian Legion Hall in Nipigon with a Cat Skinner who was on it from start to finish. He had some stories to tell. They started in March which was still full blown winter and got the first cut thru by October. He told me they were frequently several miles ahead of the engineers laying it out—and some places that were flagged for the route was impossible to drive a Dozer across. He finished the war in the Aleution Islands and worked the rest of his life in a paper mill
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 37,932 Likes: 4
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 37,932 Likes: 4 |
I did it in June on my motorcycle but turned off in Whitehorse and went north to Tuktoyaktuk on the Arctic Ocean . Holy Smoke, an additional 900 miles of dirt, and then 900 miles back down and yer STILL in the middle of what most folks would call BFE What kind of motorcycle and where does one get gas? Where did you sleep?
"...if the gentlemen of Virginia shall send us a dozen of their sons, we would take great care in their education, instruct them in all we know, and make men of them." Canasatego 1744
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Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 176
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 176 |
Yep, drove it in the late 60's. Only pavement was a couple miles through Whitehorse. Took a side trip to the Yukon, a little village called Pelly River Crossing. Learned to hate logging trucks.
Last edited by Scott62; 10/01/19.
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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 5,606 Likes: 1
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 5,606 Likes: 1 |
First time in the early 1980's. There was a lot of gravel and very crooked sections. Last time was early 2000's and it was mostly like half a freeway.
Cassiar twice in that time. Once was when freshly graded--fast and smooth. The other time it was endless miles of potholes.
Bruce
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Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 5,699 Likes: 2
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 5,699 Likes: 2 |
Only one round trip from eastern Oregon to Fairbanks! The summer of 1966. When we go up the Alaska now we fly. Then use the kids pickup when we get there! I remember changing headlights, three times! Rocks hit hard enough to push the screen guards into the lights! Didn't loose a windshield on that trip, but it had enough rock chips it got changed when we were home. I don't know how many miles were gravel then, but it seemed like all of it was gravel!
Last edited by Heym06; 10/01/19.
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Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 151,844 Likes: 20
Campfire Savant
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Campfire Savant
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 151,844 Likes: 20 |
That sounds like an interesting trip!
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,306
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,306 |
I did it in June on my motorcycle but turned off in Whitehorse and went north to Tuktoyaktuk on the Arctic Ocean . Holy Smoke, an additional 900 miles of dirt, and then 900 miles back down and yer STILL in the middle of what most folks would call BFE What kind of motorcycle and where does one get gas? Where did you sleep? KLR 650 I carried extra gas but didn't use it. Bike has a 6.1 gallon factory tank. I did need reserve from Dawson City to Eagle Plains. Mostly tents and an occasional hotel. I'll maybe tell my whole story here when it slows down some if anyone is interested.
Do not feed the bear!
White Bear sometimes treads on thin ice...
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Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 10,958 Likes: 6
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 10,958 Likes: 6 |
I did it in June on my motorcycle but turned off in Whitehorse and went north to Tuktoyaktuk on the Arctic Ocean . Holy Smoke, an additional 900 miles of dirt, and then 900 miles back down and yer STILL in the middle of what most folks would call BFE What kind of motorcycle and where does one get gas? Where did you sleep? KLR 650 I carried extra gas but didn't use it. Bike has a 6.1 gallon factory tank. I did need reserve from Dawson City to Eagle Plains. Mostly tents and an occasional hotel. I'll maybe tell my whole story here when it slows down some if anyone is interested. I for one would love to hear it, especially with pictures. That, in my mind, is what the Campfire was meant for.
They say everything happens for a reason. For me that reason is usually because I've made some bad decisions that I need to pay for.
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 69,429 Likes: 13
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 69,429 Likes: 13 |
A family friend helped build it about the time I was born.
Any here drive the route? My mother's brother was in the army engineers. He helped build it during the 1st 2 years of WWII. After that, he was sent to Europe in time for the Battle of the Bulge.
“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” ― George Orwell
It's not over when you lose. It's over when you quit.
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 86,289 Likes: 27
Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 86,289 Likes: 27 |
If you take the time it takes, it takes less time. --Pat Parelli
American by birth; Alaskan by choice. --ironbender
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 86,289 Likes: 27
Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 86,289 Likes: 27 |
If you take the time it takes, it takes less time. --Pat Parelli
American by birth; Alaskan by choice. --ironbender
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Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 61,049 Likes: 18
Campfire Kahuna
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OP
Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 61,049 Likes: 18 |
The friend, Bert, had a lot of stories about build that highway. many were about the cold weather. He said they changed oil with the machines running. A man on top with the oil, another on the drain plug.
These premises insured by a Sheltie in Training ,--- and Cooey.o "May the Good Lord take a likin' to you"
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